Lennon killer's third parole attempt fails

Nation News

Posted: Wednesday, October 06, 2004

By Associated Press

ATTICA, N.Y. - John Lennon's killer will remain in prison for at least two more years after being denied parole Tuesday because of the "extreme malicious intent" he showed in gunning down the former Beatle in 1980.

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Mark David Chapman, 49, was notified of the decision late Tuesday after appearing before a three-member panel earlier in the day.

It was Chapman's third bid for freedom. He was denied parole in 2000 and again in 2002.

Lennon's 62nd birthday.

The latest denial "is based on the extreme malicious intent you exhibited (when) you fired a handgun multiple times, striking your victim - John Lennon," the board wrote.

Chapman has been in prison more than 23 years for shooting Lennon outside his Manhattan apartment building as the musician returned from a recording session.

He became eligible for release after serving 20 years of a maximum life sentence.

Before Tuesday's hearing, a letter sent to the parole board on behalf of Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, requested that Chapman remain imprisoned, according to a source close to Ono, who spoke only on condition of anonymity.

In 2000, Ono said she opposed Chapman's release out of concern for the safety of herself and her children.

For his own safety, Chapman lives in housing separate from the general population at the Attica Correctional Facility, about 30 miles east of Buffalo, according to corrections officials.